Hev & I enjoyed a fab day out at Yorkshire Sculpture Park at the weekend, seeing lots of marvellous art and enjoying summer weather (which we're constantly thinking will be the last day of the summer). As part of the day, I noticed there was AI art on show as a part of a show in one of the galleries. So I posted about it on Facebook. Oh dear.
I hate to be the person who claims there’s AI art on show at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, but there’s AI art on show at Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
Update: There’s been an instagram post from the artist, included below.
Update: Turning off comments now
These sculptures by Annie Montgomerie are pleasant and very clearly hand made, but they’re standing on plinths decorated with AI that (to my eye) screams AI. Check them out.
See the gibberish words on the mouse behind M for Monkey? The crazy ear on the rabbit behind A for Alpaca? Or the mutated dog behind D for Dog? If those aren’t generative AI art I’ll be amazed.
All works are on sale, for thousands of pounds, at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, a respected art establishment. Today in AI.
This got lots of responses. In fact, if I'm reading this chart below correctly, my post was viewed by 181,700 people and has, somehow, earned me $23.51, and I do not know how, or whether I'll actually receive that.
This was not, of course the reason I posted it. I posted it to draw attention to AI art in places where I, possibly self-righteously, don't think it should be appearing. I also hoped Yorkshire Sculpture Park would be made aware of it and perhaps mark it as AI art. This is I think my position: AI art is a tool people will use, and we should be told when they have. I don't like it, but I can't stem its tide.
What I didn't want was a pile-on onto the artist. It turns out it was the artist's daughter that supplied the AI plinth art, and the artist posted on Instagram in response:
There has been a lot of unkindness about the display blocks for my exhibition at YSP. When I was creating this exhibition I experienced some very hard situations and had a complete breakdown. I’m still recovering now with anxiety and depression. The comments about ai has snowballed this morning. My daughter kindly helped with the display and I wanted them to look like vintage picture blocks. I am so sorry if I have offended anyone with the ai used (this was used only for the blocks and not the posters or anything else). Please accept my apologies and please no more hate comments. I will not use ai in my displays in the future. My actual work takes days to make with every intricate detail coming from my hands and heart.
Some of the posts on my Facebook did become quite vitriolic, and as ever the views are polarised. You can see the whole post and comments here:
Hopefully the affair has blown over now. I am sorry that my post seems to have led to a spate of online bullying of an artist and her daughter, and I hope that this will stop.
Hopefully Yorkshire Sculpture Park will address the situation, label AI art accordingly, and perhaps comment on their position on the inclusion of AI art under their remit.
Meanwhile onwards and upwards. I'll keep spotting AI art, and peoples opinions on it will remain divided.
October 3rd 2026 - 10am - 12 midday at Kendal Library, Lake District - a FREE CLASS! Part of The Lakes International Comic Festival. Spaces are strictly limited, so book fast.
Kev F's Comic Art Masterclasses are a fun workshop for pupils aged 7 and up, drawing on my many years working for everyone from Beano and Marvel comics to Doctor Who and Red Dwarf to my current work adapting Shakespeare for kids. After two hours, everyone goes away with a comic containing a strip by every one of them, and a caricature by me.
Here come 10 comic strip panels, brought in by my guests on Comic Cuts The Panel Show, your favourite podcast about comics . In the show my fellow guest and I try and guess where these comic panels are from, now it’s your turn. Get ready to write down your ten guesses, tell me how well you do in the comments.
First two - in episode 1 of season 2 comedian Mitch Benn brought in this, easy peasy - and fellow comedian Scott Agnew brought in this. What’s it from? Any guesses? Write them down.
Numbers 3 & 4 on your Comic Cuts quiz card: when podcaster Margaret Cabourn Smith and crime writer Ian Moore came in, Margaret brought this panel. What’s that from and who’s it by? And Ian brought in this. Can you recognise the artist? And can you name the comic?
Here’s two more. When storyboard artist Mike Collins and magician Ali Cook came in, Mike brought in this - any ideas? I’ll give you extra points if you can name the artist. And Ali brought in this. You’re winning all the points if you can tell us where this is from and who it’s by.
Number 7 & 8 in today’s quiz: when Viz comics’ Davey Jones and stand up Andre Vincent came in, Davey brought us this. Can you recognise that artist? And what strip’s it from? And Andre brought in this. You might have a guess at the strip, I applaud anyone who knows the name of the writer and artist.
And finally numbers 9 & 10 for you to guess today - brought in by comedians Howard Read and Spring Day, Spring brought in this, probably one of the easier ones to guess, and Howard brought in this. You’ll kick yourself when you find out what it’s from.
So there you go, 10 comic strip panels. How many were you able to guess first time? Extra points if you get the artists and the writers. Anyone out there get 10 out of 10?
Oh you want to know the answers? Then you’ll need to listen to - or watch - Comic Cuts The Panel Show, your favourite podcast about comics. All the guests you’ve just seen were in season two, which is ongoing, you’ll find the links below or just type in Comic Cuts The Panel Show, wherever you get your pods cast
10 comic strips - how many can you name?
Here come 10 comic strip panels, brought in by my guests on Comic Cuts The Panel Show, your favourite podcast about comics . In the show my fellow guest and I try and guess where these comic panels are from, now it’s your turn. Get ready to write down your ten guesses, tell me how well you do in the comments.
First two - in the very first episode we recorded for season one, comedians Iszi Lawrence and Doug Segal brought in these. This was Iszi’s panel, you might recognise the style, you might be able to name the writer and artist, can you name the book its from? And Doug brought in this. Turns out I knew the book quite well, but I didn’t recognise this early artist on the series. Can you guess them?
Numbers 3 & 4 on your Comic Cuts quiz card today: The Beano’s Nigel Parkinson and manga artist Sonia Leong brought in these gems. This was Nigels. Can you recognise this artist? Really famous amongst comic historians, what’s that strip? Extra points if you can tell us what comic it was in. And this was Sonia’s panel. This was very much if you know you know. Apparently it’s a legendary manga series, and this was me hearing about it for the first time.
Here’s two more, podcaster Adam Roche and former comics laureate Hannah Berry brought in two very different examples. This was Adam’s, quite possibly the funniest strip we’ve ever struggled to describe on the show, can you name the artist? I’ll give you a clue, he’s been a guest on the podcast himself. And can you name the strip? And Hannah brought in this. Another one I had never heard of, you get all the brownie points if you know this one.
Numbers 7 & 8 in today’s quiz: when cartoonist Marc Jackson and childrens author Alex Milway came in, Marc brought this panel in. You recognise the character, but have you any idea what comic it’s from and who wrote and drew it? And Alex brought in this. Yeah good luck with that one.
And finally, number 9 & 10, when Beano creators Nigel Auchterlounie and Laura Howell were on the show, Nigel brought in this strip, which you might be able to have a stab at. Fabulous. And Laura brought in this. A nice story came with it, but can you possibly name the comic it’s from? I’m not even sure we worked out who the artist was, maybe you know better.
So there you go, 10 comic strip panels. How many were you able to guess first time? Extra points if you get the artists and the writers. Anyone out there get 10 out of 10?
Oh you want to know the answers? Then you’ll need to listen to - or watch - Comic Cuts The Panel Show, your favourite podcast about comics. These guests came from seasons one and two of the show, you’ll find the links below or just type in Comic Cuts The Panel Show, wherever you get your pods cast
